Abstract: A system and method for depositing a cheque at a self-service terminal such as an automated teller machine. The method comprises the steps of: transporting the cheque from an entrance slot to a process zone; determining whether to accept or reject the document; and electronically acquiring an image of the document. Thereupon the system identifies an electronic or telecommunications address of a device associated with the user; and in the event of accepting the document, transmits the acquired image of the cheque to the device address.

Abstract: A substitute check is created for an original check which has an encode line printed thereon. Check image data which is representative of an image of the original check is received and analyzed to establish positioning of MICR characters within the encode line of the original check. An encode line of the substitute check is formatted based upon the positioning of MICR characters within the encode line of the original check such that the formatted encode line of the substitute check matches the encode line of the original check. The formatted encode line of the substitute check is printed to create at least a portion of the substitute check.

Abstract: Systems and techniques for recognizing and distinguishing between different containers in which products to be sold by weight may be placed before purchase. A point of sale terminal includes devices for capturing and evaluating information relating to the presence, absence and identity of container type indicia whose presence characterizes a container as belonging to a particular type having a particular weight. Containers in which products may be placed are given appropriate indicia. When an item is to be sold by weight, the item is weighed and a weight reading is received. Information relating to the presence, absence and identity of indicia characterizing a container type is captured and evaluated, and if a container bearing such indicia is identified, the container weight is subtracted from a weight reading to obtain a net weight for the products.

Abstract: The present inventions are a paper skew correcting device and a bill depositing/dispensing apparatus. The paper skew correcting device comprises first and second driving rollers 21 and 22 disposed on the left and right sides of a conveying route for paper 2 and first and second driven rollers 23 and 24 with narrow contact faces placed opposite to the first and second driving rollers 21 and 22 via the conveying route. The second driving roller 22 is formed in a tapered roller with a tapered outer peripheral surface and its rotation shaft 22a is provided aslant so that the contact part of the tapered roller is almost parallel with the conveying route. The second driven roller 24, corresponding to the second driving roller 22, is laterally moved according to the skew angle of the conveyed paper 2 so as to change its contact position with the second driving roller 22 so that the feeding speed of the right side of the paper 2 can be accelerated or decelerated to correct the skew paper.

Abstract: A system and method monitor the progress of a meal and provide course menus in synchronization with the monitored progress of the meal. The system includes a menu application for retrieving course menus and sending them to a patron communicator located at a table in a restaurant. The patron communicator displays the course menu for viewing by the patrons seated at a table. When an attendant receives orders from the patrons, an attendant service indicator is activated to provide an attendant service signal to the patron communicator. The attendant service signal is provided to the menu application so the meal status may be updated and the next course menu corresponding to the updated meal status retrieved. The menu application may insert advertising in the course menus. The advertisements may also include special offers and discounts generated from food supply data so that dishes prepared with food approaching freshness expiration dates may be timely offered.

Abstract: A method of determining failure of a CBS.

Abstract: A method of operating a self-service checkout terminal located in a checkout area of a retail store includes the step of generating a payment-tendered control signal when a user of the self-service checkout terminal tenders payment for a number of items for purchase. The method also includes the step of detecting movement of the user on a movement detection floor mat and generating a walk-away control signal if the user exits the checkout area of the retail store. Moreover, the method includes the step of generating a personnel-request control signal if the walk-away control signal is generated prior to generation of the payment-tendered control signal. A self-service checkout terminal is also disclosed.

Abstract: A papers feeding device, comprising first and second feeding units 10 and 20 in which pickup rollers 12 and 22 are mounted on two or more independent shafts 11 and 21 disposed on the right and left sides of the device to be orthogonal to the carrying direction of papers P. The pickup rollers 10 and 20 are vertically moved independently while following up the height position of the uppermost surface of the piled papers P. The first and second feeding units 10 and 20 are connected by a plate elastic support member 70 . The device also comprises a single optical sensor 72 for detecting the height position at the center of the elastic support member 70 . The contact state of the pickup rollers 12 and 22 with the papers P is detected based on signals detected by the optical sensor 72.

Abstract: A method to provide directions to customers requesting information about the location of products in a store that brings the customer into the vicinity of other products in which the customer may have an interest to purchase receives customer identification data and product selection data, determines customer interest data from the customer identification data, and generates a customer path to a location corresponding to the product selection data that includes a location corresponding to the customer interest data. A customer following the generated path comes into the vicinity of one or more products in which the customer may have an interest to purchase. A customer may enter the identification data through a keypad or through a scanning device that reads a customer token. Preferably, the customer token may be a smart card or a card bearing a magnetic stripe. A keypad or touch screen may be used to provide product selection data.

Abstract: A method controlling an application from a web page. The method includes the steps of recording activation of an interface button associated with the application on the web page, determining whether the application is already active, and calling the application if the application is not already active. The method further includes the step of passing command line parameters to the application if the application is a non-web application.

Abstract: Paper sheets or the like inserted in a bundled state from the outside are conveyed in that state to an advancing section. Then, the paper sheets or the like, advanced on sheet by sheet basis from the advancing section, are conveyed to temporary holding section and received there. The reception of the paper sheets or the like, received in the temporary holding section in a stacked manner, is made by conveying them in a bundled state from the advancing section and advancing them on sheet by sheet basis.

Abstract: A self service terminal comprises a keyboard including a plurality of separate, individually operable keys having user engageable surfaces. Each key includes a display having an image thereon which is produced by electronic ink. The terminal further comprises a central processing unit (CPU) connected to the keyboard and arranged to control each display to control the image displayed by each respective display.

Abstract: A card reader for reading magnetic stripe cards which are manually inserted, and withdrawn, by a user. The card is constrained to follow a path which displaces the card laterally while the card is outside the reader, and before the magnetic stripe reaches a magnetic sensor within the reader. The lateral displacement prevents an illicit magnetic sensor, positioned externally to the reader by a hacker, from reading the magnetic stripe, since the stripe is moving in an incorrect direction while the card is external to the reader.

Abstract: An electronic price label (ESL) system for performing asynchronous ESL transactions. An event notification technique allows a communication base station (CBS) manager to directly notify an ESL manager when responses from an ESL are received, without the ESL manager needing to constantly poll the CBS manager. In one aspect, an inter-process communication layer (IPC) to allow for such event notification by the CBS manager. When initially beginning operation, the ESL manager subscribes to a CBS manager's event and provides the name of a function in the ESL manager to be called when this event occurs. When the ESL manager instructs the CBS manager to send a message to an ESL, the CBS manager provides the ESL manager with a handle or unique identification number to identify the message. When a response is received from the ESL, the CBS manager “fires an event” utilizing the IPC and indicates the identification number of the response.

Abstract: A self-service deposit terminal for bank notes, in the deposited notes are subjected to an acceptance procedure in which the deposited notes are passed through a note validator and a decision is made regarding the validity of the notes, so as to differentiate between: a) authentic notes; b) counterfeit notes; and c) suspect notes. Reject notes are then separated from authentic notes and diverted to a purge bin. On route to the purge bin counterfeit notes are marked, so as to render them unusable and suspect notes are marked without rendering them unusable.

Abstract: Methods, computer programs, information handling systems, and state machines for performing an atomic write to a data block area are disclosed. The atomic write is an in-place write> The method includes receiving one or more data blocks to write to the data block area; and for each data block received: writing the data block to the depot slot; and writing the data block to the data block area after the data block write to the depot slot is completed.

Abstract: A postage sheet includes a face sheet adhesively bonded to a release liner. The face sheet includes a removable internet stamp having a diecut perimeter. A visible security indicium is disposed on the front side of the stamp and has a different color than the face sheet, and is not reproducible by photocopying.

Abstract: Systems and techniques for RFID communication using a frequency shift between uplink and downlink carrier frequencies achieved by digital processing of a baseband signal before radio frequency modulation of a carrier signal occurs. Generation of the carrier signal, and modulation of the carrier signal, is accomplished using digital techniques. A digital representation of a baseband signal is modulated to create a complex baseband signal multiplied by a negative frequency shift equal to a difference between downlink and uplink carrier frequencies. This signal undergoes analog to digital conversion and modulation by a carrier signal at an uplink frequency. The complex baseband signal includes in-phase and quadrature components. During uplink communication, the in-phase component of the complex baseband signal is replaced by a constant value. The quadrature component is replaced by a zero signal, During uplink communication, therefore, an umodulated carrier signal at an uplink frequency is generated.

Abstract: A self checkout system/terminal includes an electronic article surveillance (EAS) system. The EAS system includes an EAS detector and an EAS deactivator. EAS tag detection is associated with a purchase transaction event, such as scanning or bagging of an item. After EAS tag detection, the customer is directed to deactivate the EAS tag. Some of the self-service checkout terminal (SCOT) operation/functionality may be paused during an EAS tag deactivation period. The subject EAS system and/or process eliminates the need to deactivate every item, thereby streamlining the self checkout process when EAS is used in a store.

Abstract: Methods, computer readable medium, and apparatus for tracking the direction of a moving item by laser bar code scanners are disclosed. In particular, the method includes the following steps at a first sample in time. Those steps include sensing video transitions reflected off packaging graphics of the moving item by a pair of scan planes, counting the number of video transitions sensed by each scan plane of the pair of scan planes, and determining if the moving item intersects each of the scan planes by comparing the counted number of video transitions for each scan plane of the pair with a predetermined threshold at the first sample. At a second sample in time, the above steps are repeated and the method includes the additional step of evaluating the direction of movement of the moving item from changes observed from the first sample and the second sample.